Daisy

My heart is hard. Everyday I must pound the city streets to find food and shelter. In my short little life, I’ve known such pain, people can be so cruel. And loud! I hate all of those honking horns and cars zooming past me. Big brown trucks scream past me each day, garbage trucks and big dump trucks too. People scream at me to get out of their green grass and out from under their trees, it’s impossible to find somewhere to rest, somewhere to get warm. My belly is empty and I am thirsty. Once I was a little girl and my mommy loved me. She fed me and she tried to teach me, but she was unloved herself. My brothers and sisters and I had no chance. Once, when I was just a young thing, someone took me in. I thought I was saved. But they turned out to be cruel, the man would kick me and the woman would scream at me words that I didn’t understand. They kept me tied to a tree with no food or water. I had to pee in the same place that I slept. I was dirty and covered with fleas and I itched. I let my heart get hard, and I got mad. “I’m never going to trust another human as long as I live!” So I escaped. Days and days I chewed that rope in two and I left. I never looked back. I’ve been on my own since then but the world is a cold cruel place. One morning it started to snow so hard and it never stopped until the next day. My feet were so frozen and there wasn’t anywhere to escape the cold and the snow. Even the cars and trucks were stopped by all that white stuff. I had to eat the snow just to get water but it didn’t help my hunger.

So I spend my days hiding in plain sight. I avoid people as much as possible and I forage for food in the dark. One cold winter night I was looking for food around US Bank and a car approached me. I was terrified and I ran as fast as I could down the dark alley and I hid behind a building. My heart was pounding as I watched that car slowly stalk me, I’m sure she intends to kill me. But I noticed that she put some food into the alley. I watched her get back into her car and I listen as she says words that don’t sound mean, they sound soothing and peaceful. She doesn’t sound like the other woman who tied me with a rope and called me stupid. I still will not trust these humans, but I will eat the food they leave.

My life continues to be as harsh as the weather. Last night I was trying to find warmth on Central Avenue when suddenly out of no where this little dog comes toward me and started to chase me! I had to run for my life toward the main road through this little town. I raced toward the street with this killer terrier hot on my heels. He chases me straight in to the road where we narrowly missed getting killed and I’m sure that lady who left the food was watching. I hid in terror after I managed to escape the little terrier and I saw her driving around in the snow. I’m sure she was looking for me. Meanwhile the ice hurts my feet and I am hungry. I have no where to go.

It’s just another cold winter morning and my belly is empty. I ‘ve been hurt by one of those car things and I can’t walk. It hurt my tail and I am in agony. Another woman in another car is looking at me as I’m trying to rest beside this fence. She left gravy for me to eat but I just can’t trust anyone. My heart is hard.

My tail feels as if it’s going to fall off, it hurts so bad, but no worse than my empty stomach. Today I found a pile of dog food at the bank again. I wonder where it appeared from? It was good and it gives me strength and warmth. Uh oh, here come the cops, I must hide!

Today something happened. I walked down to Auto Zone and two women came toward me. I’m still so hurt and sore, I really just want to lay and give up. These women though treat me different. They don’t challenge me, they are so calm and peaceful. I wonder why they are trying to talk to me? I believe they are trying to help me but I swear I am so scared. I am so hurt that I don’t know how I can escape. I don’t want to bite, but if they get too close, I will have no choice. My heart is hard.

Once again, another woman seems to be following me in her car. Why are they doing this? She is pretty and she left me some pizza. These women are sure showing up in my life quite often, it almost seems as if they are communicating with each other to co-ordinate their attempts to help me. What is this, I feel a little soft spot. In my heart...

Today I found a nice place under a tree to rest near the drug store. The weather is better and my leg doesn’t hurt as bad. I lost part of my tail a few weeks ago and it seems to be hurting less and less. Once again another woman has shown up and she has food and I think it’s people food. It’s some kind of fish and it’s so good! I actually hung out with her for a few minutes and I’m proud of myself - I didn’t run away. I walked away, after I ate her food of course. My heart is getting a little softer.

There’s a little one. Just a little woman I think. Just a puppy herself. She has pretty hair and she’s not much taller than me. I can tell her heart is pure, she isn’t afraid of me. And I’m not afraid of her. She touches me and wow does it feel nice. She likes to scratch my ear and my back. I trust her. She has a mommy like I had once. The mommy is starting to put food out for me, I’m so thin and weak! Those big tall people I’m still so afraid of them, but this little one is nice. Maybe the big ones are too!

One fine spring day I noticed one of the women who seem to follow me, watching me again. It was the one who sat with me at Auto Zone. She is talking to the angel’s mommy and they’re talking about me! I heard the mommy tell the lady that if black doggie wants a home, she can have one here. I’ve wandered these streets for months. I’ve been cold and hungry. I’ve cheated death in the street and I’m tired. I walked up beside the little girl and I rested my head against her. I am home. Maybe my life can be joyful. Maybe I can have food and shelter and help and love. Maybe I can live forever with this little angel. Maybe she will call me Daisy.

In February, I noticed this beautiful black and white dog crossing the road at US Bank. Her body language was that of terror and she was very, very thin. She touched my heart and I went to the store and bought a bag of dog food and drove back to the bank. I noticed her in a yard close to the bank and thought I could coax her to me. There was no way, so I poured the food out and I watched her watch me. Only after I left did she go eat. I posted about it on Facebook and Crystal Thornsbury Music, Jackie Brown, Jen Lafferty-Kopecky, Paula Goble and Kierstin Woods all began to tell stories about how they had had similar experiences with her. Throughout the long cold winter, we would post whenever one of us saw her and tried to help her. I know her story through my eyes and the above story is what I imagine it would be through her eyes. I know every member of our little “black doggie” group have prayed for this one, looked for her, thought about her. It’s so remarkable that after all these months, she found her own home and has learned to trust us humans again. I like to think that all the little things we did helped her to understand that not all humans are monsters. If you’re reading this and it’s touched your heart, please find a way to help on your own. Help spread the word that we can each make a difference in the lives of a single dog. Spay and neuter your pet, keep them warm and safe and healthy. Look around your neighborhood for opportunities to educate and rescue animals from people who are ignorant. Sadly, there are many Daisy dogs out there who need our help!